New Assisted Dying Bill in Review

One of the latest news stores this week is the review of the assisted dying bill, which if passed will give permission for doctors to administer doses of powerful drugs to end the lives of those whose quality of life is seriously compromised. Essentially euthanasia, this will allow people who are seriously terminally ill to consider whether they would want to sustain their lives any longer. For me, this is a topic in which people should approach with caution as it is real lives, real people, real stories that we are dealing with.

On a basic level (although I respect this isn't a simple topic at all) we are evaluating the quality of a persons life against the longevity or quantity of their life. Indeed it leaves the nation divided in opinion. Speaking to The Independent, oncologist Professor Karol Sikora  believes that the implementation of this power for doctors will result in "death squads" of doctors.

What is important to note is that assisted dying will be of significant relevance to the terminally ill who have been told the have 'less than six months to live'. If this bill is passed, it will mean doctors will have a further big responsibility, more vitally important choices to make.

Doctors in my opinion may only make up a fraction of this matter. In medicine, the patient is the paramount figure of every case - ultimately it is their choice whether to end their own lives or not. I believe they should have the choice, providing they are sane and in "the right frame of mind". No doubt, their families will have a part to play in every patient's decision.

However British Prime Minister David Cameron is concerned that if passed, the bill may cause people to be "pushed into things that they don't actually want for themselves."

Some may argue that assisted dying will help to suppress the needless suffering of the terminally ill - this could have an effect on families as well will lessened responsibility and emotional suffering perhaps.

What do people think? Well according to a 'poll for ITV this week, 70% of Britons are behind the assisted dying bill, with 10% disagreeing'.

In my view, I believe that the bill should be passed. The attention must be brought to the patients themselves. It is they who endure terrible suffering, it is they who should be given a choice.

Credit to Natasha Culzac, reporter for The Independent for the original article. Click here for more on the story.